Automobile-top



..H. w; sTEw'ART.

AUTOMOBILE'TOPz APPLICATION FILED FEB. IO. 1919.

2 SHEETS SHEET I Patented Mar. 2,

H. W. STEWART.

AUTOMOBILE TOP.

APPuc/mou min n58. m. 1919.

, Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

314W, n to: ji W/fiewa/r UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

HENRY W. STEWART, OF EL PASO, TEXAS.

AUTOMOBILE-TOP.

nasa/118.

Application filed February 10, 1919.

To all wliom z't may omwe'rn Be it known that I, HENRY IV. S'rEwAn'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Paso, in the county of E1 Paso and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Iniprovements in Automo'bile-Tops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle tops, and more specially to the tops of automobiles having two or more seats wherein the cover' is supported by a plurality of collapsible bows.

In automobile tops of the Ford type of the collapsible cover is supported by four bows, two of which are pivotally connected to the body on opposite sides of the rear seat, one of said 'bows being upright or Vertical and the other inclined upwardly and rearwardly. Another bow, which is arranged vertically is pivotally connected to the opposite sides of the front seat, and a fourth bow, which is pivotally connected with the bow last mentioned, extends forward and upward therefrom, and is attached to the front end of the cover.

As is well known by those familiar with the Ford car and cars of that type, it requires the. services of two persons to detaoh the front bows, connect them with the 'rear bows, and fold all the bows and the cover into a compact space in rear of the hind seat. One of the principal objects of my invention is to change an automobile top of the Ford type into what is known as a oneman top without discarding or mutilating any of the customary parts used in the construction of such tops, and in this connection I provide means for holding both of the forward bows in an elevated position so as to leave a clear space on each side of the front seat. Inasmuch as 'by my invention I can convert a Ford top into a one-man top without discarding or materially changing any of the parts usually employed lin such topS, it is obvious that a top made in accordance with my invention may, lif desired, be changed back to a Ford top, with great facility.

In carrying out my invention, I employ two rearward bows of the same kind as those used in the Ford touring car, and I support these on opposite sides of the rear seat in the usual way. The next bow in the series, e., the one usually supported on opposite sides of the front seat, is swung upward to an approximately horizontal position,

Specificaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Serial No. 276,047.

the front portion or arch of the bow being employed to support the cover intermediate its front end, and the part supported by the upright rear bow. This horizontally arranged bow is connected at its rear end to brackets secured to the upright rear bow and each arm of this horizontally arranged bow is supported by a horizontally arranged bent bar, one end of which is connected to the upright rear bow and the opposite end of which serves to support the rear end of one arm of the front bow or outrigger bow. The details of construction will be hereinafter more fully explained.

In the acconipanying drawingfi 'Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section, illustrating by full lines an automobile top construoted in accordance .with my invention, and the drawings indioate 'by dotted lines the usual Ford construction which may be changed to conform to my improved construction or my construction may be changed in the manner indicated by dotted lines to the Ford construction.

F ig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the supporting` bars which I add to the Ford construction to support the two forward bowsin a horizontal position.

Fig. '8 is a view on an enlarged Scale and in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. L is a detail view on an enlarged scale, and in section, on the line 4-4 of `Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, illustrating the position of the bows arranged in accordanco with my invention and of the supporting bars when they are disconnected from each other and ready to be inounted in folding posltion.

Fisr. 6 is a view in side elevation, show/ino' the position of the bows and the cover in folded position.

Fig. 7 is a view in horizontal section, on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view, showing the manner of connecting the front end of the cover with the wind-Shield.

Fig. 9 is a detail view, showing how the front bow or outrigger is connected with the wind-shield when the latter is rearwardly inclined.

The automobile body is indicated atV A. B i'ndicates the front seat B' the rear seat, the wind-Shield and D the cover. The upright, rear bow E is pivotally connected' at the Ford calu e to the opposite sides of the rear seat 13', in the usual way, and the rearwardly lnclined rear bow E' is connected to the 'lower way and these bows serve to support the rear portion of the cover in the manner indi-.

cated. The upright, front boW'F and the forwardly and upwardly inclined outrig'ger bow G, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, are arranged as in the Fordvcarand the construction of these bows is the same asin It willbe observed that the front end of `the bow Gr` is attached tothe front end of thecoverat g. Vhen `the bows are arranged in the ma'nner just describecl the services of two persons are required to readjust the bows and fold them andthe cover to collapsible position in rear of: the hind i seat, and furthermore the outrigger bow G and the forward bow F obst-ruct to some eXtent :the spaces on opposite sides of the front seat. l t

According' to my inventionvthebow'F is raised to the position` shown by full lines in Fig..1,.and each arm of thiszbow'islsupported at its `rear end by aibrack'etHl attached in any suitable way at h to the upper portion of the rear, upright bowwE. AsE is usual, in tops of this kind, i'the outer endxof each arin of thebow F is equippedwith a laterally projecting pin f whichgordinarily engages a bracket b on the front=seat-B, but in accordance with my inventionjthe two pins f on the two arms of the bow F engagze sockets in the rear e'nds of the bracketsv H, as indicated most 'clearly vin F-ig. 7 yone'fof said sockets being indicated at f' in :'Fig. 5. Each arin of thelbow F isprovided with acotterpin f? held by a cord or other suitable fiexible devicev The cotter pinszengage the pins f on the bow F in'the usualway to prevent the ends of the bow from .being separated from the brackets when the top is raised. The bow F is furthermore supported on each side'by a horizont'ally arranged bar L, shown in perspective in Fig. 2. Each of these bars isbentv upwardly in itsmiddle portion, as indicated` at Z. Its rear,clownwardly extending portion is providedwith a tapered end Z'which enters a socket'c2` in the rear, upright bow E. ylEachV of ;the bars L is connected at its middleportion to one of the 'arms of'the bow F, this Vconnection being made on each side by a pin m' extending` laterally from a bracketvm2` attached'. to the bow F. Thesepins-m' extend'through holes Z* in the bars L. Cotter pins m3 `hold i. the pins 'm/ in place when' the top: i's raised.

The` front bowV G is supported on'each` side by the front end of one of thesupporting bars L which at its extreme front: portion is provided with a split sleeve` or 'loop Z2 into 'which the rear portion"ofueachfoft'the arms of the. front how ;eXtends .'Eaeh-arinf of the ffontbowgis prorided' with ai iaterally'sprojecting pin g' which enters a hole gz in one of the bars L. These assist in holding the 'frontbow in place. Cotter pins 23 lock the portion of the bow E at c' also in theusual M enter the sockets f* in the bow F when lthe bows are folded, and the bow F is provided 'with pins 7:5 vvhich enter the sockets 82 in the bow E when in folded position. Inv like manner the bow` ll'hasvpinse5` which enter so'ckets 8G in the boW E' ``When the parts are in the position 'shown in' F ig. 6. Cotter pins are'remployed' wheneverrequired, to hold the parts invv place inv thev usual way.

A7hen`thetop ``ist'folded, in the ma'nnerv in` dicated 'in Fig. .6,fthe bows and cover are supported in racks or brackets P in the usual fway.

.Ordinarily in the Ford type of cars,istraps are :'employed forholding downfthe front how, such straps being attached to the windshield,zbut preferably I 'attach upri'ght rods Q,-to oppositeysidesyof the shieldyas .indieatedLfinFig. S,`` and secure socketipieces g to the bowGfi'nto which'` the rods eXtend. lSet screws ;tj/'n11 serve to hold. the l rods 'in their sockets*whenthetop is raised and stretched.

InFig. 911' have'illustrated a slight modification .inziwhich the parts l* are adapted to connect 2 vwith .i a`l rearwardly inclined i windshield. tThis, howeNeig-"Idoesi not `nvolve 'a material alteration of construction. It'will beJobSerVed byl'referenceto Fi'g. 3 that the split sleeve or loop Z2 is somewhat larger in diaineterthan the arm of the bow whichextends through fit a'nd'Ifprovide: a set screw minlv the loop for-'thev purpose of holding` the arm ofthebowsteady when the top is raised buthefore lowering the` top theset screw is loosened'fso'as to givezsome play to the parts Whenclthey are being: disconnected.

*lVhen the parts' are 'connected in the mannergabove' described, they are arranged as sl1ow1rin-Fig- 1 and securely hold the cover inextendedzposition. Whenfit is desired to fold the i cover fits front .end is detached from the Wind-Shield,l the ucotter pins o fg are remoVedandthebowF is sprung inward in the-usual zwayrso as: to remove the -pins f fromathe.l brackets'rH. l/Vhen this is done the'f'xbow EF Will shift lits position inV such mannerithat .'therpins fwill'not again reenter .the socketof'. 'The cotter pins m3' are then :removed from the' pins m' and the bars' Lv arezinoved lsidewise to. separate Vthe pins from: them. .The ends Z' of the`bars L may then be removed from the sockets 82 and then `the.` parts may zbe1 loweredj to. 'the positionf'shownfinFig. 5. After. this,` the cotter pins'fmayfV befremoved from thepins g' 1and the bars'L'may befdetachedl from the*l front bow' ,G "andt 'may 'befstored in thel vehicle in any'convenient;y place. lThefboWs may then Abei pivotally:flconnected7 to the braekets N'fat'x'nzwhilexthe;inner1ends'of1fthez bo'W G may be pivotally connected with the bow F at 0. Then the bows are so connected and supported that they may be turned back to the position shown in Fig. 6. The top may be readily raised and the parts assembled when desired so as to assume the position shown in F ig. 1. 7When reassembling the parts most of the connections may be made in an obvious manner, but when connecting the bars L with the front bow it is necessary to cause the pins g' to pass through the slots in the loops Z2 before said pins engage the holes gg. After the connection is made the set screws m may be tightened to prevent rattling. The bars L may be attached to the front -bow when the front bow is in the position shown in Fig. 5. Experience has demonstrated that one man can perform the various Operations of either lowering the cover or raising it and inasmuch as my improvements are adapted to convert an automobile top of the Ford type from a twoman top to a one-man top it is obvious that they have great utility.

I claim as my invention:-

1. An automobile top, comprising acover, two rear bows for supporting the rear portion of the cover, two horizontally arranged bows for supporting the front part of the cover, horizontally arranged bars for supporting` the two front bows, detachable connections between said horizontally arranged bars and the rear portions of the forward or outrigger bow, detachable connections between the middle portions of said horizontally arranged bars and the middle portions of the other or intermediate front bow, and means for supporting the rear ends of said horizontally arranged 'bars on one of the rear bows.

2. An automobile top, comprising` a cover, two rear bows for supporting the rear portion of the cover, one of which is rearwardly inclned and the other of which is vertically arranged, two horizontally arranged bows for supporting the front part of the cover. one of which is an outrigger bow and isv connected to the front end of the cover, and the other of which is an intermediate bow supporting the middle portion of the cover, means for supporting the rear ends of the intermediate bow on the upper portion of the vertically arranged rear bow, horizontally arranged bars for supporting` the outrigger bow and the intermediate bow, detachable connections between the rear ends of the outrigger bow and said bar, detachable connections between the middle portions of the horizontally arranged bars and the middle portions "of the ;intermediate bow, and means' for supporting the rear ends gf said bars on the vertically arranged rear 3. An automobile top, comprising a cover, an upright rear bow for` supporting the rear portion of the cover, two horizontally arranged bows for supporting the front part of the cover, one of which is an outrigger bow and is connected with the front end of the cover, and the other of which is an intermediate bow and supports the middle portionof the cover, detachable connections between the rear ends of the intermediate bow and the vertically arranged rear bow, horizontally arranged bars for supporting` the outrigger bow and the intermediate bow, detachable connections between the horizontally arranged bars and the rear ends of the outrigger bow, detachable connections 'between the middle portions of said bars and the intermediate bow, means for supporting the rear ends of said horizontally arranged bars on the rear bow, means adjacent the front seat of the automobile for connecting` the ends of the intermediate bow to hold it in a Vertical position, means for at times connecting the ends of the intermediate bow to the automobile adj acent the lower ends of the rear bow, and means for connecting the rear ends of the outrigger bow to the intermediate bow.

4. An automobile top, comprising a cover and four supporting' bows therefor, one of which is an upright bow for supporting the rear part of the cover and which is pivotally connected with the automobile body on opposite sides of the rear seat and the other of which is a rearwardly inclined bow pivotally connected at its lower end with said upright bow, an intermediate bow adapted to be pivotally connected to the automobile body on opposite sides of the rear seat, means for supporting' the ends of said intermediate bow from the upper part of the upright rear bow, a front or outrigger bow adapted to be pivotally connected at its rear ends with the intermediate bow, and bent bars for supporting the front or outrigger bow and the intermediate bow which are detachably connected therewith and which are supported by and detachably connected with the upright rear bow.

subscribed my name.

HENRY V. STEWART. 

